Denver Botanic Gardens' School of Botanical Art and Illustration is designed to teach the skills necessary to portray plants accurately both for scientific purposes and for beautiful plant illustrations. The school is open for everybody, both for committed illustrator and enthusiastic amateur. The program can lead to a Certificate that is offered only a few locations worldwide. The Certificate Program was initiated and established in 1990 by Angela Overy.

It takes a gifted artist to become a great teacher and those who dare to teach never cease to learn.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Quercus petraea, sessile oak, Plate #2667 from Flora Danica, published between 1761 and 1883. It was aimed for popular education in the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, and the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Read more about it here.

This time we are exploring the arts, design and archives of Copenhagen (Denmark) and Berlin (Germany) with surroundings. The detailed daily program and special, for this group designed tours are under final development, however you can expect the following be included:

1. April 18-24 Copenhagen (Accommodation at Hotel Vesterbro, a superior first class hotel)

From the Örtengren Collection which is a collection of books, mainly in the field
of pomology, fruit growing, and related subjects, once owned by the
business man Sven Helmer Örtengren (1852-1922).
- we'll see also the Wooden Library, xylothek

The above package includes breakfast, internet access, tax and service fee in hotels; first class rail ticket, local transportation to destinations; entry fees, tour fees and basic no-trip cost travel insurance (upgraded policies available for an additional cost).

The trip is limited to 12 people only and it is sold out. If you are interested please let me know and I'll add your name to the waiting list. In 2018 we travel to Southern Spain (Grenada, Seville etc.) and Morocco - you can already put your name on the list if you plan to come with!

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

You
are cordially invited to submit work to the jurying process for the annual
botanical illustration exhibition, this year featuring edible plants. Your
dedication to mastering the skills of this art form and illustration makes us
extremely proud, and we would like to showcase your success in a public venue.

November
20, 2016—February 12, 2017

Venue: Denver Botanic Gardens, Gates Garden Court Gallery

Reception:November
20, 2–3 p.m.

Eligibility:

We
welcome artists who have participated in courses at Denver Botanic Gardens’
School of Botanical Art and Illustration between June 2014 and July 2016 or are
an active participant in the Botanical Illustration community. Artworks of all
levels and in any media taught in the school are welcome.

Subject:

As
the title suggests, illustrations will feature plants that are edible. This may
include plants used directly for consumption – vegetables, fruits, seeds,
mushrooms, etc. – as well plants used as components of foods, including spices,
plants used for flavorings or food colors, and infusions. Less conventionally
edible plants, for example plants traditionally considered weeds, or those that
are not commonly known to be edible, are also welcome. Plants that are consumed
for non-food purposes, such as plants used as poisons or for their psychoactive
properties, will not be considered for this exhibition. Please note that this
call extends to plants that can specifically be eaten by humans – plants for
animal consumption are not included in the scope of this exhibition.

We
welcome all submissions whether traditionally based or contemporary, and we are
eager to see edible plants that have been eaten in a variety of cultures.
Please refer all questions to Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski.

Media:

All
media taught in the Denver Botanic Gardens’ School of Botanical Art and
Illustration are accepted. All artwork must be original. No photography or
digitally generated work will be accepted. No giclée prints or offset
lithographs considered.

Scale:

If
scale is included on the plate, only metric units are allowed.

Submission Method and format:

Each
artist may submit three two-dimensional entries for juror consideration. Digital
files only. Entries must be submitted digitally via CallforEntry.org™, also
known as CaFÉ™. CaFÉ™ is a web-based service that has detailed on-line
submission instructions and a team of professionals available to address your
tech support needs. A complete submission includes a completed entry form and
digital image for each entry. Images must be submitted as JPG files only, minimum of 1920 pixels on the
longest side and 5.0 MB maximum with artist’s last name and title of
artwork as the file name (e.g., Smith_Planta
communis).

Submissions accepted:

August 22nd —
September 5th, 2016

Submission Deadline:

11:59pm,
September 5th, 2016, Mountain Daylight Time.

Jurors:

The
jury will consist of Denver Botanic Gardens’ curatorial staff. The work will be
judged according to the standards of the media (typically composition,
technical skills, and botanical accuracy), along with thematic relevance.

Presentation, Size and
Format:

Upon
acceptance to the exhibition, artists will submit matted artwork only; no
frame. Mats must be 4- or 8-ply white
rag (no cream or off-white mats), fitting exactly into a 16” x 20” frame
(interior measurement). Pieces must be matted with both a backing board and a
face mat and must be appropriately and securely attached within the matting—hinging
and photo corners are both acceptable. Please do not submit matting with any
loose elements, i.e. backing board or face mat not attached or piece not
secured inside the matting.

Any
housing submitted with artwork must have your name clearly written on it—we
cannot guarantee the return of housing without a label. Artists juried into the
exhibition will receive detailed information and requirements upon
notification.

Delivery and Insurance:

Delivery
requirements will be detailed with acceptance notices. While on site, artwork
is insured by Denver Botanic Gardens. For insurance purposes, a valuation of
your piece MUST be on file. Please complete this portion of the entry form
accurately upon submission.

Publicity and Catalog:

Images
submitted for this exhibition may be used in a catalog or publicity in print or
electronic form for the exhibition and may be used for promoting the exhibition
before, during and after its run without further permission being sought.

Contact
MerviHj@botanicgardens.org with questions.

Please direct all
technical questions about submitting your work to CallforEntry.org.

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Amorphophallus titanum on August 5th,at 10:20 p.m. after starting to slowly open earlier in the afternoon (5:20 p.m.)

If you are in the Denver area during this weekend (August 6-7) stop by Denver Botanic Gardens and see the blooming corpse flower - Amorphophallus titanum. Peek in Marnie's Pavilion and you can see and smell it. Last night at 10:20 p.m. the smell was already very strong.

Earlier (1 p.m.) on August 5th we did the daily measurements: the spadix had only grown 1/2" since yesterday, the total height was now almost 64" (click to enlarge)

The spathe was truly beautiful and had started to loosen slightly (1 p.m., Aug 5)

What about our Stinky, Amorphophallus titanum that bloomed last year? It has rested one year and now entering the leaf state. The leaflets are starting to separate. It is tall, strong and monumental.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Colorado’s
High Country Summer Symphony. Rebecca Swain’s goal is to document all
the different wildflowers from her property in Evergreen, CO. Here is a
fraction of the vast variety of plants blooming in the end of July at
the 8250 ft (2500 m) elevation. Lupine, Mariposa lily (Calochortus) and
columbine (Aquilegia) on the left had already passed the blooming by the
end of Rebecca’s sketchbook week and the high summer composites:
blanket flowers (Gaillardia), sunflowers (Rudbeckia) and coneflowers
(Ratibida) had taken over the landscape - bluebells (Campanula) continue
blooming until the snow arrives in September.If you have not followed our 2016 sketchbook project during the past five months on the SBAI Facebook site, please click here to see the 21 pages/spreads completed thus far.